KIRAN, the project of Kolkata Police has claimed to be the ray of hope for youth open up doors of opportunities for them. The project aims to empower students from impoverished background and minority communities, finds out Subhajit Bhattacharya of Elets News Network (ENN)
Destiny took a new turn for Intekab, Khalisa Shamim, Nishat, Kaushik and Sunny. Today, they are not lost faces who are struggling to fetch their own identity. They are professionals and well placed in different multi nationals across the city.
They are empowered youth with a focused mindset and eager to achieve their own dreams. They do not live under the hollow of despair instead their mind is free of fear and their heart is filled with hope.
But, how did they create their own identity and achieved their financial prowess. KIRAN, the project of Kolkata Police opened the window of opportunities for these youth from different minority oriented areas of Kolkata. The KIRAN project started its journey in the year 2008 by targeting the students from impoverished background and from the minority community. Beniapukur Police station was the first to roll out this project and instantly got overwhelming response from the locality. Intekhab Alam (20), a student of KIRAN is now well placed in a multinational, says, “KIRAN has helped me to achieve my goal and opened a plethora of opportunities in front of me.”
According to experts, India will very soon be counted amongst the biggest and apt producers of human resource for the global market. The demand of the able and skilled human resource will increase in manifold over the coming few years. By keeping this in mind, the Kolkata Police started this tailor made project to enhance the skills of the students who belong to the large minority community of Kolkata.
Aiming to bridge the gap between cops and the community and to hone the skills of the lesser privileged children, the project KIRAN was dolled out by the Kolkata Police in association with the West Bengal Minority and Finance Corporation.
The project enrolls 40 students in every batch and makes them computer enabled by enhancing their computer skills which later open doors of the job market in front of them. “In the last few years, the project has earned accolades from different sections of the society and we successfully imparted computer education to more than 4,000 minority students of Kolkata,” says Shoven Banerjee, Officer-in Charge, Community Policing Wing. Presently, the Men in White are running these KIRAN centers in more than 20 minority populated zones of Kolkata. Khalisa Parveen (18), completed her course and managed a job offer few days back. She says,“I got a job after I completed my computer course from KIRAN. My perspective on cops has completely changed, I believe they are not only people in uniform who brandish their lathis and guns, but they have a humane face behind the white uniform.” Till date KIRAN has successfully trained more than 3,500 girl students.
This project is not only enhancing the skills of several youths, but is also eradicating the gulf of mistrust between cops and community. The course is offered to those who have completed their plus two and is completely free for students. Presently, the knowledge centers are spread across 20 minority populated areas, which are Beniapukur, Gardenreach, Karaya, Jorasankho, Ultadanga, Entally, Tangra, Taltola, Topsia, Ekbalpur, Cossipore, West Port, Narkeldanga, Phoolbagan, Bhowanipore, Ballygaunge, Watgaunge, Park Street, Nadial and Tiljala have started functioning.
Via KIRAN, computer education is not only extended to minority community, but it is also extended to underprivileged youth. The faculties of the KIRAN center thinks that the growing job market is in massive demand of employable workforce and Kolkata Police is creating that workforce through KIRAN and a gamut of students are getting good job offers from the market.
